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Behaviour/development

self induced vomiting

5 replies

lyndap · 07/01/2004 13:04

My almost one year old has started to make herself retch and vomit up food by putting her fingers down her throat. This doesn't happen a lot but enough to freak me out. I'm trying not to make a big deal of it so as not to provoke a reaction or to let her see I'm wound up by it.
Any thoughts?

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nutcracker · 07/01/2004 13:30

My dd2 also did this from about 8 mths. My h.v was totally useless, she just lept making a note of it in her red book and suggested removng her fingers from her mouth as soon as she started to do it. I think with my dd she was doing it because she knew she would get some attention. She had asthma and would cough at night until she was sick and i think she realised that this would then get her attention in the day. I used to ignore it as much as possible but did remove her fingers if she started to heave. I honestly think it's probably just a phase.

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norma · 07/01/2004 13:36

It's a normal phase they go through at about this age as they 'discover' what happens when they poke their fingers down their throats and find it fascinating, and also quite interesting and amusing to see adult reaction to it! The best course of action is to either ignore it or to calmly remove their hands and distract them. They soon move on to other things as it really isn't a particularly pleasurable thing to do.

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manna · 07/01/2004 13:45

My ds did it too, and one of his friends, at around the same age. It's really common, and nothing to worry about. Just pull their fingers out when they start to go blue!! Having said that, I've just been through a summer of self induced vomiting (he was 18 months) at bed time with NO FINGERS!!, he seemed to just will himself to do it, so if you progress to this stage (very uncommon apparently) post again and I'll give you my 1 week fullproof method (fingers crossed) for curing it

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Angeliz · 07/01/2004 14:10

agree with everyone. I think it's for attention and because it's fascinating for them. DD used to do it all the time

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lyndap · 08/01/2004 08:45

Thanks guys,
Nice to know this is no big deal and probably only the first of many antisocial habits that the little madam will display!
Manna, cheers for the offer of your foolproof method for beating this. I may get back to you!
Thnks again.